Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Sudan: Politics and Government

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the indictment of Omar al Bashir for genocide and human rights abuses in Sudan, what is the current level of engagement with the Sudanese regime and whether that level of engagement has increased, or is planned to increase.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: In order to maximise our ability to persuade all parties to the conflicts in Sudan to end the fighting and allow the Sudanese people the security and development they deserve, we need to have a greater level of direct engagement with the government of Sudan. For that reason, we have started a Strategic Dialogue with the government of Sudan, which provides a necessary platform for us to raise issues of concern, including human rights, and at the same time explore possibilities for cooperation on a wide range of UK interests. The Strategic Dialogue process does not change our position of maintaining only‘essential contact’ with President Bashir, given his outstanding arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC). The UK remains a firm supporter of the ICC and encourages all States to act on its indictment.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the priority given to the promotion of democracy and human rights within the UK–Sudanese strategic dialogue; and what assessment they have made of (1) the reliability of the Sudanese regime as a reliable partner with a shared agenda, and (2) the extent to which the strategic dialogue will embolden the regime in Sudan to continue with their current policies.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Improving human rights remains one of our policy priorities in Sudan, and therefore discussions of human rights issues are a key part of the UK-Sudan Strategic Dialogue. At the last round of talks on 10/11 October, a representative from the Sudan Advisory Council for Human Rights accompanied the Sudanese delegation.In a number of areas we fundamentally disagree with the government of Sudan; however, in others our interests are much more closely aligned. We assess that direct engagement through the Strategic Dialogue process provides better opportunities to raise issues of bilateral concern, as well as to look at strategic questions such as the resolution of internal conflicts, regional security and migration. We keep this policy under regular review.

Sudan: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why, in the last year, there has been a reduction in the number of UK and EU statements on human rights violations in Sudan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: ​Sudan remains a Human Rights Priority Country for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as outlined in the FCO's last annual Human Rights and Democracy Report published in July 2016. We regularly raise our human rights concerns directly with the government of Sudan in London, Khartoum and New York as part of our ongoing dialogue. Most recently, human rights issues were a key theme of the Strategic Dialogue that took place in London in on 10/11 October.We consider our response to all reports of human rights violations carefully, in consultation with our EU and troika partners and with human rights organisations on the ground, and respond in the way we judge to be the most effective in conveying our concerns to the government of Sudan. We also support the established UN mechanisms in their efforts to improve the situation in Sudan.

Central African Republic: Sexual Offences

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of progress made by the African Union pilot project to respond to the needs of victims of sexual violence in the Central African Republic.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: An early assessment suggested that progress on the pilot of the project to respond to the needs on victims of sexual violence was not as swift as we had hoped but that lessons were being learned. We are discussing with the African Union (AU) on how we can better coordinate efforts to address sexual violence in the Central African Republic (CAR).The UK Government will continue to work with the AU and UN to support their efforts to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence in CAR. We plan to use the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Rules Based International System Strategy Fund to support this work, particularly in regions outside of the Capital, Bangui.

Kashmir

Lord Hussain: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of India concerning violence in Indian-administered Kashmir and the continued curfew order in place in cities and towns.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain concerned by reports of violence and offer our condolences to the victims and their families. The UK abides by its commitments under international law and expects all countries to comply with their international legal obligations. Our High Commission in Delhi is monitoring the situation closely and we have updated our travel advice. As the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Reading West (Alok Sharma) said in the House of Commons on 18 October, the UK's long-standing position, held by successive Governments, is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or act as mediator.

Kashmir: Human Rights

Lord Hussain: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the government of India's recent refusal to allow access to representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to investigate possible human rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir, what representations they are making to the government of India to enable those investigations to be undertaken.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware of reports of human rights abuses in Indian-administered Kashmir. Any allegation of human rights abuse in any country is a matter of concern and should be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently.

Syria: Politics and Government

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government who they recognise as the legitimate government of Syria.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK Government recognises states and not governments. We take the position that the Asad regime has lost legitimacy through having murdered, tortured, gassed and bombed the Syrian people.The UK Government supports the Syrian moderate opposition including the National Coalition of Syrian Opposition and Revolutionary Forces and the High Negotiations Committee, the umbrella body representing the opposition in negotiations on Syria's future, of which the National Coalition is a part. The High Negotiations Committee brings together the broadest based opposition in Syria, striving to represent all Syrians who want to build a democratic and pluralistic future for the country.

Pakistan: Human Rights

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made representations to the government of Pakistan concerning reports of human rights violations in that country.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: ​We remain concerned about reports of human rights abuses in Pakistan. Our concerns are reflected in the latest update to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office annual human rights report. We continue to urge Pakistan to honour in practice all its human rights obligations and uphold the rule of law. During his visit to Pakistan in March, the former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised the importance we attach to safeguarding the rights of all Pakistani citizens regardless of ethnicity, faith or gender.

Israel: Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel about oil and gas reserves off the coast of Gaza.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The gas fields off the coast of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories are a commercial matter. We remain in regular contact with British Gas, the Palestinian Authority and the government of Israel about the exploration of offshore oil and gas.

Northern Ireland Office

Belfast Agreement

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the concept of parity of esteem, as outlined in the Belfast Agreement 1998, applies to (1) members of the armed forces who served in Northern Ireland but reside in another part of the UK, (2) members of terrorist organisations who were active in Northern Ireland and reside there, and (3) members of terrorist organisations who were active in Northern Ireland but reside in the Republic of Ireland.

Lord Dunlop: This Government understands the concept of parity of esteem, as set out in the 1998 Belfast Agreement, as placing a general obligation on the UK Government to govern in the interests of the whole community and to treat people of different traditions fairly and with equal respect. In the Agreement it is clearly expressed and defined in relation to people living in Northern Ireland. As a general obligation there is no definition of particular circumstances in which it does or does not apply. The concept of parity of esteem does not absolve people from upholding the law: terrorism was wholly wrong. This Government will never accept any form of equivalence between members of the armed forces who upheld democracy and the rule of law and those who engage in terrorism or other forms of paramilitary activity.

Parades Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 17 October (HL2170), which body or individual ensures that the Northern Ireland Parades Commission is compliant with international treaty obligations concerning human rights.

Lord Dunlop: There is no one body or individual that is specifically responsible for ensuring the Parades Commission complies with international treaty obligations, including on human rights. Further to my written answer of 17 October, the Commission operates independently of the Government, in line with the provisions contained in the Public Processions (NI) Act 1998. That Act is compliant with international treaty obligations on human rights, and the Commission is accountable to the courts for its operational decisions.

Parades Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what revisions have been made to the Northern Ireland Parades Commission procedural rules and guidelines in the last five years.

Lord Dunlop: No revisions have been made to the procedural rules or the guidelines issued by the Parades Commission in the last five years. In line with the provisions of the Public Processions (NI) Act 1998, the procedural rules and the guidelines are required to be kept under review by the Commission; it is a matter for the Commission whether it proposes any revisions to the relevant instruments.

Department for International Development

Sierra Leone: Health Services

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in setting up a coordinated and effective health care system in Sierra Leone, following the Ebola outbreak.

Lord Bates: DFID is supporting the President’s Recovery Plan (PRP) that focuses on delivering its two health priorities to strengthen Sierra Leone’s health system post Ebola. They are:(i) Prevent, detect and respond to epidemics to ensure zero cases of Ebola. DFID is providing £38.5million to support epidemic preparedness in the country by strengthening disease surveillance, laboratory services, maintaining a rapid deployable treatment centre and monitoring Ebola survivors. This programme has been operational since December 2015 and will finish in December 2017.(ii) Saving the Lives of 600 women and 5,000 children. DFID is providing £150million over five years (2016 – 2021) to support the Government’s saving lives target by June 2017 and then increase the availability and quality of Reproductive Maternal Neonatal Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) services by 2021. This is being done by equipping emergency obstetric centres, providing adolescent reproductive health services, increasing the availability of skilled health workers and by providing bed nets and free medicines to mothers and children. This programme commenced implementation this month.Each health priority has a clearly defined work plan with milestones and is coordinated by the Ministry of Health. Progress against the milestones is monitored and reported weekly with the President reviewing progress each fortnight. District surveillance reports are submitted weekly to track the incidence of notifiable diseases (such as Ebola, Cholera and Lassa fever), detect clusters of unexplained deaths and trigger immediate investigation. In additional DFID is engaging in the longer term planning to strengthen Sierra Leone’s health system, including the development of a five year RMNCAH strategy.

Syria: Refugees

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of refugees from Syria who are Palestinian in origin.

Lord Bates: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) estimates that 110,000 Palestinian refugees have fled Syria since the onset of the conflict; 42,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria are estimated to be in Lebanon and 17,000 in Jordan, with the remainder in Egypt, Turkey and Europe.

Syria: Refugees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to other members of the international community, and with what responses, concerning the large group of Syrians now trapped at the border with Jordan; and what plans they have for securing food and essential services for that group.

Lord Bates: The UK is deeply concerned about the rising humanitarian needs of the Syrians trapped between the Syrian and Jordanian borders. UK government officials have been working hard to find a solution that allows the resumption of humanitarian aid while meeting the security concerns of the Government of Jordan. UK officials have been working closely with international partners, including the United States, the European Union and other international donors. Our international partners’ response and assessment of the situation on the berm is consistent with the UK government’s stance.An agreement in principle has been reached with the Government of Jordan for the resumption of aid supplies to the border area within the coming weeks. This remains at the detailed planning stage but should ultimately provide more substantial aid, primarily food, water and daily essential items, and restore a basic medical provision for those present in the border area.

Sudan: Internally Displaced People and Refugees

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) internally displaced persons, and (2) refugees from other countries, there are in Sudan.

Lord Bates: According to figures from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there are a total of 3.2 million internally displaced people in Sudan, of which 2.6 million are long term displaced in Darfur alone (as stated in the attached).OCHA also estimates that Sudan hosts a total of 386,283 refugees from neighbouring countries.



PQHL2379 attachment
(PDF Document, 197.29 KB)

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of reported criticisms that official school textbooks used in Pakistan contain references capable of provoking religious prejudice and hatred, whether they plan to discuss with the government of Pakistan the content of those textbooks, in particular those used in Punjab and Sindh provinces.

Lord Bates: The majority of the Department of International Development’s (DFID) education programmes in Pakistan support the work of the Governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Both governments are aiming to improve the quality of education, including through reviewing and replacing text books, implementing Pakistan’s 2006 reformed curriculum, and improving teaching standards through regular and better quality teacher training.Independent evaluations of the reformed curriculum have confirmed it to be based on values of democracy, pluralism, and peace. UK development programmes are assisting these provincial government efforts. In Sindh, we do not work with Government but rather we partner with the low cost private sector to get more poor children into school. So far 121,343 previously out of school children in the poorest areas of Sindh are now being educated.

International Assistance

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the UK's international aid budget has been allocated to multilateral aid, and primarily through which institutions, in each of the last five years.

Lord Bates: On average over the period 2010-2014, 40 per cent of the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) was allocated to multilateral organisations. The table attached lists the top five multilateral organisations in terms of core funding.Figures for 2015 will be published later this year.



PQ HL2463 - Table
(Word Document, 24.73 KB)

International Assistance

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the scrutiny of the UK's bilateral aid programmes by the International Development Committee and the Independent Commission on Aid Impact, in addition to internal departmental audit and risk analysis, what level of scrutiny is applied to multilateral aid programmes.

Lord Bates: As with bilateral aid, multilateral aid is subject to robust scrutiny by the International Development Committee and the Independent Commission on Aid Impact (ICAI). For example, ICAI published a review on “How the Department for International Development (DFID) works with multilateral agencies to achieve impact”, in June 2015 and the International Development Committee published an interim report on “UK Aid - Allocation of resources”, in March 2016.The Secretary of State has clearly stated her commitment to driving higher results and ensuring value for money and transparency from DFID’s multilateral partners. DFID has taken a strategic approach to scrutinising the impact of our investment in multilateral organisations through the Multilateral Aid Review, the latest review is due to be published soon. The UK is also an active member of the Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN), which brings together 18 donor countries with a common interest in assessing multilateral effectiveness. MOPAN will commission its own assessments of multilateral organisations.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which countries UK aid is being used to fund private healthcare provision.

Lord Bates: The UK supports developing countries across Africa and Asia to make faster progress towards universal health coverage, with a focus on ensuring that poor people can use the health services they need without the risk of financial hardship associated with direct out-of-pocket payments. Poor people often rely on non-state service providers for much of their health care. The UK therefore supports private providers where this offers the best value for money in reaching the poor with good quality services.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role of private healthcare providers in delivering government aid programmes.

Lord Bates: In most low income countries the non-state sector delivers a substantial share of healthcare, with poorer people often relying on informal providers. This is usually in response to insufficient, poor quality or inaccessible state provision.However, informal and unregulated private providers can sometime provide low quality health services and commodities, and out-of-pocket payments can contribute to further impoverishing low income groups. Ensuring that services are accessible and affordable to the poor usually requires government or external funding arrangements.The UK Government uses its aid programmes to support the strengthening of mixed public and private health systems to deliver quality, accessible and affordable healthcare to the poor and uses thorough monitoring and evaluation processes to ensure that results are achieved and lessons learned.

Department for Education

Arts: GCSE

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Department for Education figures, published on 13 October, showing that the percentage of pupils entering at least one arts subject at GCSE has fallen by 1.7 percentage points to 47.9 per cent of pupils in state-funded schools in 2016, what plans they have to increase take-up of arts subjects.

Lord Nash: All schools, including academies and free schools, must provide a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society. Between 2012-2016 the Government invested over £460 million in a diverse portfolio of music and arts education programmes that are designed to improve access to the arts for all children, regardless of their background, and to develop talent across the country. GCSE entries in arts subjects declined in 2016, but one year of data does not make a trend. Between 2012 and 2015, entries into arts subjects rose. The proportion of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 taking a GCSE in at least one arts subject is down from the last two years but is still higher than it was in every year between 2010 and 2013. The number of exam entries does not reflect the extent of students’ engagement with the arts. Many students decide not to study arts subjects as academic subjects but nevertheless continue to enjoy taking part in the arts, in school and out, by singing in choirs, playing in orchestras and bands, and acting in school plays.

Ministry of Justice

Magistrates

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of increasing reliance on district judges, what role they envisage for lay magistrates.

Lord Keen of Elie: We are committed to giving magistrates the strongest possible role in a more proportionate courts system, now and in the future. Magistrates and District Judges bring different but valuable skills to our justice system. We are working with magistrates to review their role to make sure that the justice system is making full use of their skills, and that they are dealing with more of the crimes that affect and matter most to their communities.

Department for Work and Pensions

State Retirement Pensions

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Freud on 15 September (HL1460, HL1461 and HL1462), what assessment they have made of (1) the proportion of addresses held by the Department for Work and Pensions that are incorrect, and (2) the number of people who will not have received a letter informing them of the change in their state pension age.

Lord Freud: This information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

State Retirement Pensions

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 15 September (HL1462), what action was taken to trace new addresses and re-send letters to those affected by the increase in State Pension Age under the Pensions Act 2011; and for whom letters sent between January 2012 and November 2013 were returned due to the Department for Work and Pensions having the incorrect address.

Lord Freud: The Department has a robust process in place to review all incorrect address returns and properly scrutinise and update customer account details when an address is confirmed. Letters are issued to the latest address held on our records. DWP takes all reasonable steps to determine the correct address. For State Pensions this may include contact through Local Authority or a DWP Visiting Officer. Where an updated address is confirmed the customer account details are amended.Information on the number of individuals who had letters returned due to incorrect address details, and details on resending letters is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

State Retirement Pensions

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 15 September (HL1462), what happens to letters that are returned undelivered when incorrect details are held.

Lord Freud: Letters are issued to the latest address held on our records. Whilst the onus is on our citizens to notify appropriate Departments of their current address, DWP takes all reasonable steps to determine the correct address when letters are returned. This includes scrutinising all available DWP systems to determine if a revised address is held. At the time of the age equalisation communications campaign the process for State Pension included contact through Local Authorities or a DWP Visiting Officer. Where an updated address is confirmed the customer account details are amended.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Fire Regulations

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they considered the economic, societal and environmental impacts of fire when producing the Approved Document B (fire safety) regulations; and if not why not; and whether they consider that the Building Act 1984 and the Sustainable and Secure Building Act 2004 provide that the purposes for which regulations may be made for the design, construction, servicing and fittings of buildings should include such impacts.

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the economic and environmental costs of fire in domestic, industrial and commercial buildings, and, if such estimates have not been made, why not.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The government has not made such an estimate. Such estimates are made, only where necessary, to assist in the assessment of specific policy proposals.Part B (Fire safety) of the Building Regulations for England was last subjected to a major review in 2006. Since then the guidance has been subject to minor amendments in 2007, 2010 and 2013. Where substantive changes were made, in 2006 and 2013, the government of the day issued an impact assessment which set out the matters that were considered at the time. These documents ( attached) are available in the library of the house and available on the internet at;http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120919132719/http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/regulatoryimpactassessment10https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/39372/121128_-_Part_B_IA_-_to_publish_for_web.pdf



Regulatory impact assessment
(PDF Document, 466.16 KB)




Part B2 of the Building regulation
(PDF Document, 528.69 KB)

HM Treasury

Inflation

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will explain the basis on which the inflation target for the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee is set; and the circumstances in which that figure would be raised above two per cent.

Lord Young of Cookham: A comprehensive Review of the Monetary Policy Framework was published in 2013. The current remit for the Monetary Policy Committee reflects the assessment set out in the 2013 Review, which includes retaining a flexible inflation targeting framework, with a 2 per cent symmetric inflation target. The remit also states that the MPC may allow inflation to deviate from this target temporarily in order not to cause undesirable volatility in output due to the short-term trade-offs involved.

Cabinet Office

Electoral Register: Finance

Lord Rennard: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the independent report commissioned by the Electoral Commission, Evaluation of Electoral Administration at the EU Referendum, published in August, which showed that almost half of Counting Officers responsible for the referendum considered that their teams had insufficient funds available to support the work required to compile the electoral register, whether they plan to review the electoral registration funding process.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: It is the responsibility of Local Authorities, under the Representation of the People Act 1983, to appoint an Electoral Registration Officer who has a statutory duty to maintain registers of UK Parliamentary and local government electors for their area. To support Local Authorities with this process, and fund the transition to Individual Electoral Registration, the Cabinet Office has provided over £25 million of funding in 2014/2015 and over £15 million in 2015/2016. In addition, the Government has committed to cover the additional costs associated with the modernisation of electoral registration for at least the rest of this parliament.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

Lord Rennard: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reported concerns about (1) the use of ordinary pencils for ballot papers as opposed to pens or pencils with indelible ink, and (2) ballot papers being changed, during the EU referendum ballot; and whether they are planning to ensure that polling stations are provided with special ballot pens or pencils using indelible ink.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: The Government has noted the Electoral Commission’s comments on this issue in its report on the EU Referendum. The rules governing the conduct of the referendum, which were based on the legislation in place for UK Parliamentary elections, did not specify the type of writing implement that electors must use to complete their ballot paper and voters were able to use the pencil provided or mark their ballot paper with a pen if they preferred. There were also specific safeguards in place to protect the integrity of the ballot.We are not aware of any cases of ballot papers being changed at the referendum.

Government Departments: Pay

Baroness Suttie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total anticipated cost of salaries for new members of staff recruited to work in the Department for Exiting the European Union and the Department for International Trade for 2016–17 and 2017–18.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: The budget required to fulfil both the Department for International Trade’s and the Department for Exiting the EU’s set-up and responsibilities, including staffing budget, will be presented to the House of Commons and approved as part of the supplementary estimates in the New Year, as is standard practice.

Local Government: Elections

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen on 21 October (HL2113) concerning the right to vote in local elections, whether, following the departure of the UK from the EU, decisions as to who will be entitled to vote in UK local elections will be taken by Parliament, not the EU.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: The Government is clear that, following our withdrawal from the EU, control of our laws will be brought back to Parliament. All options for ​our​ future relationship​ with the EU​ are being considered ahead of the negotiations​

Department for Exiting the European Union

Government Departments: Operating Costs

Lord Bowness: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what will be the projected annual running costs for the next three years, including salaries or fees paid to seconded staff and consultants, for (1) the Department for Exiting the EU, and (2) the Department for International Trade.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The budget for the Department for Exiting the European Union will be voted on by Parliament at the Supplementary Estimate and published in line with standard practice.

UK Withdrawal from EU

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are planning to publish any legal advice they have received on whether or not the UK has the right to withdraw the Lisbon Treaty Article 50 notification before the two year time-limit has elapsed if negotiations to leave the EU under the provisions of Article 50 lead to unacceptable conditions for Brexit.

Lord Bridges of Headley: A clear majority of the UK electorate voted to leave the EU and we will respect the will of the people. The Government's position is that once given, our notification will not be withdrawn.Our efforts will be focused on getting the best deal possible for the UK in the negotiations with the EU.

Department for International Trade

Trade

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the latest estimate of the percentage of world trade which is transacted in pounds sterling.

Lord Price: HMG does not hold official data that directly measures the percentage of world trade which is transacted in pounds sterling.According to the Bank for International Settlements, in the year up to April 2016 13% of the world’s foreign exchange transactions was conducted in pounds sterling.[Source: Bank for International Settlements, Triennial Central Bank Survey of foreign exchange and OTC derivatives markets in 2016 – table D11.3 http://stats.bis.org/statx/srs/table/d11.3 ]

Department of Health

In Vitro Fertilisation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any approach has been made to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority regarding the possibility of performing spindle-chromosome complex transfer in the UK; and if so, when any such approaches were made and by whom.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that no such approach has been made to the Authority.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of why the estimated number of English hospital admissions relating to alcohol consumption has doubled between 2004/05, when the Licensing Act 2003 entered into force, and 2014/15.

Lord Prior of Brampton: We have made no such assessment.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what new action they propose to take to halt and reverse the upward trend in the number of English hospital admissions relating to alcohol consumption, and who will be responsible and accountable for the implementation of such actions.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The new UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines provide the public with the most up to date scientific information to help people make informed decisions about their own drinking. A copy of the guidelines is attached. The Department and Public Health England (PHE) will be reviewing the advice on higher risk drinking, in light of the new guidelines, at a United Kingdom level through a consensus process in partnership with the Devolved Administrations. PHE is using its One You campaign to motivate people to take steps to improve their health through tackling the main risk factors such as smoking, inactivity, obesity, and alcohol. One You provides a Drinks Tracker app to help drinkers identify risky behaviour and lower their alcohol consumption. Local government has been given the responsibility to improve people’s health. This includes responsibility for tackling problem drinking and commissioning appropriate prevention and treatment services for their local population’s needs. Over the next five years, we will invest more than £16 billion in local government public health services. NHS England’s NHS Five Year Forward View commits the National Health Service to support national action on alcohol. The National Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) payments framework was set up in 2009-10 to encourage services providers to continually improve the quality of care provided to patients and to achieve transparency. To help deliver their commitment to reduce harmful alcohol consumption NHS England has published a CQUIN to incentivise interventions to reduce risky behaviours, and prevent ill health through alcohol and tobacco consumption. This has a number of components, including alcohol screening, brief advice and referral to specialist services.



CMO Low Risk Drinking Guidelines
(PDF Document, 323.19 KB)

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what the estimated cost of hospital admissions relating to alcohol consumption was for the NHS in (1) 2004/05 and (2) 2014/15.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Figures of the cost to the National Health Service of alcohol misuse are not available on an annual basis. The most recent estimate from Public Health England (PHE) for 2014 is that alcohol costs the NHS around £3.5 billion per annum. The Department estimates that just under half of that is due to alcohol related inpatient admissions to hospital. This information is available in the public domain, as evidenced by PHE’s report Alcohol and drugs prevention, treatment and recovery: why invest?, Public Health England. A copy is attached.



PHE Alcohol and Drugs Prevention
(PDF Document, 2.45 MB)

Obesity: Children

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they gave to proposals to regulate retail price promotions on unhealthy foods as part of their Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action and, if they were not considered appropriate, why not.

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they gave to proposals to ban the advertising of unhealthy foods aimed specifically at children, and before the nine o'clock watershed, as part of their Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action and, if such proposals were not considered appropriate, why not.

Lord Prior of Brampton: In developing Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action we have been clear that we considered a number of different policies and have focused on the ones that are likely to have the biggest impact on childhood obesity. The policies in the plan are informed by the latest research and evidence, including from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition report Carbohydrates and Health, Public Health England’s evidence package Sugar reduction: the evidence for action, other Government departments, debates in the House of Commons and various reports from key stakeholders including the House of Commons Health Select Committee. Current restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food and drink in the United Kingdom are amongst the toughest in the world. Alongside this, we welcome the action taken by forward thinking retailers on promotions. These voluntary actions mean that business can move more quickly and go beyond what regulation would permit. We are confident that the measures we have announced will make a real difference and estimate that childhood obesity rates could be reduced by around a fifth (330,000) over the next ten years. Though we are clear in our goals and firm in the action we will take, this plan represents the start of a conversation, rather than the final word. Copies of Carbohydrates and Health and Sugar reduction: the evidence for action are attached.



SACN Carbohydrates & Health
(PDF Document, 2.39 MB)




PHE Sugar Reduction
(PDF Document, 1.16 MB)

Health: Screening

Baroness Walmsley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of clinical commissioning groups have added pulse checks to existing GP and pharmacy enhanced services for people over 65.

Lord Prior of Brampton: This information is not held by the Department or NHS England, as general practitioner (GP) and pharmacy contracts do not mandate pulse checks as part of the existing GP and pharmacy enhanced services for people over 65. However, in England all local authorities are required to offer the NHS Health Check programme, with the large majority commissioning general practice to provide them on their behalf. Between 2014 and 2018 more than 15 million people aged 40-74 will be eligible for an NHS Health Check. The programme’s best practice guidance recommends that a pulse check is carried out as part of the process of taking a blood pressure reading, and those individuals who are found to have an irregular pulse rhythm should be referred for further investigation.

Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with NHS England over the proposed closure of the congenital heart disease service at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The national review of congenital heart disease services is an NHS England led review. Department officials regularly meet with NHS England colleagues to keep abreast of progress, and keep Ministers updated on the review. No final decisions have been made on the future of congenital heart disease services at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust. NHS England will conduct a service change process in relation to the proposed changes at this and other trusts affected by the review’s proposals, before finally deciding on and implementing any change. This process will include full public consultation.